Religious leaders slam 'racial' riots<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of all the country's major religions
\nhave condemned the \"racial\" riots in Jakarta last month that left
\nmore than 1,000 people dead and called for an independent team to
\ninvestigate what they termed \"despicable and barbaric acts\".<\/p>\n
The leaders, who met at the residence of Nahdlatul Ulama
\nchairman Abdurrahman Wahid in South Jakarta yesterday, said the
\nMay 13-May 14 riots were incited in an \"organized and systematic\"
\nway by people who exploited existing racial and socioeconomic
\ndifferences.<\/p>\n
In a petition, the leaders urged the government \"to take
\nconcrete steps to show its remorse toward this barbaric affair.<\/p>\n
\"We also call on the government, the authorities and anyone
\nwho feels compelled to uphold justice, to use all their power to
\nterminate immediately all forms of behavior that try to divide
\nthe nation by exploiting differences.<\/p>\n
\"Today, it is happening to people of Chinese descent. Unless
\nwe eliminate this, it will happen to other ethnic groups.\"<\/p>\n
The leaders said the government must use an independent team
\nto investigate thoroughly and in a transparent manner those who
\nallegedly incited and spread the hatred that led to the riots.<\/p>\n
\"They should be tried and punished so that this incident does
\nnot happen again.\"<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie ordered the Armed Forces last week to
\nlook into allegations the riots were the work of an organized
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Jakarta Military Command Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
\nSjamsoeddin said later that he found most of the riots were
\nspontaneous, and believed the involvement of any organized group
\nwas sporadic and localized.<\/p>\n
About 20 religious leaders signed the statement yesterday.
\nAlong with Abdurrahman, who heads the 30-million-strong Moslem
\norganization, they included Sularso Sopater of the Indonesian
\nCommunion of Churches, Archbishop Julius Darmaatmadja, Putu Setia
\nof the Indonesian Hindu Intellectuals Association and Paul
\nTahalele of the Communication Forum of Indonesian Christians.<\/p>\n
Democracy leader Megawati Soekarnoputri cut the tumpeng, the
\ntraditional yellow rice cone, which she gave to Archbishop
\nDarmaatmadja.<\/p>\n
Most of the participants later traveled to Klender, East
\nJakarta, to pray outside the gutted Yogya department store
\nbuilding. More than 100 people, mostly looters, died in the
\nbuilding when they were trapped by fire during the riot.<\/p>\n
The leaders said they so felt strongly about the racial basis
\nof the riots that they were compelled to issue the statement.<\/p>\n
\"On the pretext that they were Chinese, they had their
\nproperties looted, their places of business destroyed, their
\nbodies tortured, their lives taken away, and as if that was not
\nenough, their women were harassed and even raped,\" the statement
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Out of despair and shame, some of the victims have since
\ntaken their own lives.\"<\/p>\n
The looters were vulnerable to incitement because of their
\npoverty, it said, and some subsequently lost their lives.<\/p>\n
\"One is born to an ethnic group; one does not choose one's
\nethnicity. It's a blessing from God that each person is born
\ndifferently.<\/p>\n
\"Differences that exist are holy and are intended to make
\npeople work together, (in) mutually fulfilling and enriching
\n(ways). They are not meant to pit one against another to make
\nthem enemies.<\/p>\n
\"Discrimination based on race, especially torture based on
\nrace, is an action that has degraded humanity and is against
\njustice.<\/p>\n
\"The acts of violence against those who were born and raised
\nin Indonesia, their country and motherland, have tarnished the
\nimage of Indonesia as a nation,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
The leaders also called on the security forces to ensure the
\nsafety of every citizen in the country. (byg\/mds\/emb)<\/p>",
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